nycruise3

There have been 18-20 meetups in the Fun Times on all of my recent cruises. Sometimes during the day, sometimes at night. There is usually a Fun Squad crew member who organizes some icebreakers. Some have more of a turnout than others, which ultimately depends on the time of year you travel and how many teens there are. Usually, the teens go to the first meetup and exchange chat information for the Hub app ($5 chat option for the whole cruise) then do not attend the structured meetups the other days/nights and hang out on their own. Aside from these, 18-20 year olds can participate in any adult activities such as rated R comedy, the adult scavenger hunt called Quest, etc, unless drinking is involved.

If you go to the smokehouse for dinner, does that prevent you from being able to go to the MDR too?

I was on the Vista for the super bowl back in 2022. It was harder to avoid the game than to watch it. Every bar with a tv showed it. Typically, the sports bar and casino bar get crowded for any game, let alone this pinnacle of American sports. Watching from the big screen on the Lido felt like the best location. You will probably have to get there early to get a seat, but I stood on a higher deck and had a great view of the screen and the wooing crowd below. The best seat is in the pool if you're an aquatic fan. Don't have to worry about getting a seat and can wade in the water with a front row view. Considering the game is at night, you will have sailed away at that point, so it being embarkation day shouldn't make a difference for viewing purposes, aside from fewer super bowl activities throughout the day.

49 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Breaking news. I was told it will continue on sea days. Time will tell.

Thank you for asking. Keeping my fun ship fingers crossed

11 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

It isn't. It is free/included. Not sure if it will survive to the next sailing. 

 

One thing I haven't seen the whole cruise are fresh seafood selections on ice 

Next time you're there would you be able to ask if they will be keeping the Chinese food on future sailings? I will be aboard the Venezia soon and would be very interested in that station. Up until now I couldn't imagine a reason they had the Chinese food and hadn't advertised it anywhere, but if it's instead of their usual seafood then it makes sense

Hub app usually does not work until you are onboard and on the ship wifi

yes you can go to guest services and they can print extra room keys that do not work as sail and sign cards, just for room access

on the kids club question: Circle C is for kids aged 12-14 so there is no issue

Airplane mode on but also WiFi turned on and connected to the Carnival ship WiFi

Definitely not the Horizon just due to how short it is. The Celebration vs Vista is a personal choice. It depends on if you value more days or a new experience. Thanksgiving cruises are always more crowded, especially with families. The huge Celebration may feel even more crowded than the Vista, but there are plenty of new attractions that you and your son will enjoy. Or you may feel that you will get more out of having an extra day on the Vista, which is also fairly new and has some attractions. I personally don't see a Havana stateroom being a deciding factor for me

Pros:

Three-story gym

Free Asian Lido station called Chopsticks (my favorite Carnival lunch option)

Free indoor hot tub in the spa, unlike some other Spirit class ships

The retractable roof over Lido deck in the event of rain

Two nearby pool areas on the Lido so it is easy to switch between the two

Not as small as Fantasy class but not as large as Vista class or Mardi Gras

Lively and comfy ocean plaza area

Galley is on deck 1 so there is no worry about a no-access section on a main floor

Has a Dive-In Movies, unlike some other Spirit class ships

Green Thunder slide is a great way to conquer fears

Spirit class offers some inside rooms with an obstructed view, which is like getting an outside for an inside price

Cons:

No mongolian wok/Jiji Asian Kitchen (but imho Chopsticks is way better anyway)

Feels more rundown than newer ships

Older Playlist Productions shows

Green Thunder slide is probably not something you will try more than a few times and the Twister slide is very very very slow

The Pride is the ship I have sailed on the most, with 5 sailings under my belt along with one on the Miracle for comparison within the Spirit class.

https://www.carnival.com/onboard/skybox-sports-bar

Looks like the sports bar is not on the Paradise

Another vote for the Horizon!

8 days > 7 so the Vista is out

Aruba and Curacao are amazing ports, can't speak on PC

PC will probably have an older crowd

If you want more options onboard, Horizon > Pride

Miami is a fun port to leave out of

Has anyone flown to a cruise with just the free personal bag airlines allow you to take? And how many days was your cruise?

I think they would be better off giving us a gift certificate for the Fun Shops. Even if they just give us $10, we can purchase whatever we want, so we couldn't complain. Also, we would likely spend more than $10 and they would make some money.

This has some great pictures. They are not mine

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPhpNbo9wA48doW24lfZrCRaUaNiiQ100KUB50jxuV5rjabihhZlGxssp8g8GNptQ?key=NnVlaEdSTTNUR3NCTDJNaXRKcUhWMmFxWE9fbUNn

For self assist, you will get a letter the night before in your room telling you where to meet. On the Horizon, we met in one of the dining rooms and were among the first ones off the ship, even before the rest of the self assist people.

I walked through a path in the forest to get to the beach. It is my all time favorite port because the water is clear and you can walk as far out in the water as you want and it does not get deeper to the point where I cannot stand.

23 hours ago, jbethel11 said:

I am confused. Circle C is on both the Horizon and the Magic.

There must have been a mistake on the Carnival website. I used the compare feature and it showed Circle C as one of the difference.

Here are the differences between the ships, it is ultimately up to you and your family to choose which better suits your needs. I hope this helps.

Horizon:

Basics-

• 3,500 more gross tons
• 300 more passengers
• 50 feet longer
• 100 more crew

Dining-

• Bonsai Teppanyaki
• Jiji Asian Kitchen
• Fresh Creations
• Bonsai Sushi
• Shake Spot

Bars-

• Havana Bar
• Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse
• Skybox Sports Bar
• Beer Station

Entertainment-

• IMAX/Thrill Theater

Kids/Teens-

• Dr. Seuss Bookville

Outdoor-

• SkyRide

Magic:

Dining-

• Mongolian Wok

Activities-

• Art Exhibitions/seminars/auctions/games

Bars-

• Red Frog Pub

Kids/Teens-

• Seuss at Sea
• Circle C
• Towel Animal Theater

Spa-

• Thalassotherapy Pool

Go for the 7 day cruise. I would never choose to go for half of the time.

First they shrunk the notepads.

Then they got rid of the pens.

Do they still leave the small Carnival notepads in each stateroom?

And do they give little golf pencils in each cabin or do we have to steal them from mini golf ourselves?

I would recommend calling Carnival or a TA. That stinks that he left it, hopefully you get it back!

 

 

 

2

17 hours ago, katstoy said:

I've sailed Disney, Carnival and Royal and Disney was the only line to countdown and make sail away something a little more special.  There were streamers that were shot out over the deck and the staff on the pier lined up, wearing big Mickey hands, and waved good bye to the ship.  But then again a LOT more kids on the Disney cruise than the others.

Streamers are shot on Carnival usually.

1 hour ago, newpherchris said:

A quick-service walk-up that serves Pho and other soups for lunch and weird breakfast bowls for breakfast. (Example: oatmeal with two halves of a hard boiled egg on top, or scrambled eggs with hollandaise and a biscuit in a bowl). The lunch was delicious; popular but rarely had a long line because it's pre made

Is it on the Lido? Is it free? Do you have the menu?

In pictures, I saw something called Lucky Bowls. It seemed like it was on the Lido. Could someone tell me what that is, I couldn't find it online.